A New Start
by Zip Goes A Million
Summary: After breaking up with Larry, Sybil needs to clear her head. However, this leads her into the arms of a charming Irishman who steals her heart away from her.
1. Recovery

**Chapter 1: Recovery**

Sybil's father gave her a wink as if they were friends. She didn't want to look at him. They had never hated each other, not by any means, but they were never particularly close. He was trying to comfort her, she thought, though he wasn't doing a very good job. Having broken up with Larry a week ago, Sybil had been unable to function how she usually would. She had been completely silent at breakfast with Edith and Mary arguing across the table. Luckily they were taking the attention of their parents and Sybil was allowed to wallow in her little pool of sorrow without drawing too much attention to herself. So when she stood up to leave the room Robert gave her a wink, but she didn't really appreciate it. He had almost no understanding of what was between her and Larry and had no idea how much emotional turmoil she had been dragged through when he had broken up with her. In just one week she'd managed to start biting her nails, avoiding all eye contact possible and being unable to sleep even hours after she was knackered to the point of collapse. She had also been caught multiple times playing with her hair, being extremely quiet and pushing her food around her plate, rather than actually eating anything. She decided that the only way to get away from her family was to get out of the house completely. She chose to go for a walk around the woods, where she was certain that she wouldn't run into anybody that she knew.

She kicked up the mud and the rocks as she wandered aimlessly through the collection of different trees and flowers. She was looking down at her feet, trying to clear her head of all the jumbled thoughts that filled her mind, leaving no space for anything that was actually useful to her. She was distracted from her internal monologue when she heard a frantic rustling of leaves above her. Her gaze shot up and she saw a bat flying above her, appearing to be flying away from something, as if it were frightened, but after a brief glance, she couldn't see anything that looked at all threatening. She did, however, wonder why a bat was out at such an hour. Perhaps something had happened to it, but she couldn't do anything, even if she wanted to. She had no experience with animals other than her horse throwing the odd shoe or Isis feeling a little bit down. She kept on walking for hours, not caring about how much her parents might be worrying about where she was. She probably should have told someone where she was going, but she wanted to be absolutely certain that she would be alone and that nobody would try to come after her.

Eventually, she came to the point where she needed to rest her body, so when she reached the next bench, she sat down on it, thankful to rest both her feet and her lungs. She hadn't noticed it, but she had gently sped up and by the time that she reached the bench, she had reached a rather considerable speed, matching the speed her mind was going. After a few minutes, she noticed the smell of fresh mint. It was pleasantly light, airy and cool, reminding Sybil of the times she'd used fresh mint when cooking with her mother years and years ago. She'd always loved spending time in the kitchen when she was little. It gave her something to do and made her feel worthy as a child and young teen. Now, though, being eighteen and with a broken heart, she missed those times and wished that she could be young again, caring only that she dropped an egg on the floor or that she used plain flour rather than self raising flour in the birthday cake.

More time passed, Sybil being unable to get up either the mental or the physical strength to keep going. A young man, slightly older than Sybil, walked up to her, taking a seat on the bench next to her. "Are you alright?" the man asked her.

"Yeah," Sybil said shyly. She had never been good at talking to strangers. As soon as she got to know someone, she was loud, boisterous and not at all afraid to make her opinions and feelings clear, but it took rather a lot of time to get her out of her shell. The man smiled at her, aware that she was far from okay.

"You just look a little down, that's all," he said.

"Life's just not going the way I want it to go, but I can't really do anything about it, other than give it time, so I'm a little bit stuck," Sybil replied.

"It'll get better. Things will improve, but sometimes it takes longer than you think it will," he replied, reassuringly. "I'm Tom, by the way," he added, realising that he hadn't introduced himself to the woman he was talking to.

"I'm Sybil," she said, offering him a warm smile.

"Umm, did you know that you've torn your dress," Tom said, alerting Sybil, just in case she didn't know.

"What?" Sybil said as she looked around to her side, taking in the sight of her damaged knee length, full circle dress. "Bugger," she said firmly, inspecting it closely. "Sorry," she said to Tom, realising what she'd said.

"Don't worry about it. I've heard worse. I've _said_ a whole lot worse," Tom said.

"Oh, damn it," Sybil said, knowing that the tear was irreparable. "I love this dress."

"It looks good on you," Tom said, giving a slightly cheeky grin. Sybil's eyes sprung up instantly to meet his. With a gentle smile she asked,

"Are you trying to compliment me?"

"Yes," Tom said confidently. "It brings out your eyes and shows off your figure."

"Thanks," Sybil said shyly. "You're not so bad looking yourself!" she replied boldly.

"Thanks. Where were you off to, anyway? It's unusual to come across a woman like you around here who isn't walking their dog."

"I wasn't really going anywhere. I wanted to get away from my family and clear my head," Sybil said. "As I said, things aren't going great right now."

"If you want someone to talk to, I'm happy to walk you around for a while," Tom offered.

"That would actually be really nice, but I don't want to put you out of your way."

"You're not putting me out of my way. I come here quite often just for some fresh air. I don't need to be anywhere today, so it'd be my pleasure to walk you around for a while."

"Thank you," Sybil said. With that, the two of them stood up and they both began to make their way around the paths of the wood.

"So, what's wrong?" Tom asked simply, leaving the question open for Sybil to answer however she wanted to. She trusted Tom for some reason that was unclear to her, so she felt that she could open up to him without any problem whatsoever.

"Long story short, I've just come out of a four year relationship, and I'm kind of distraught about it. I don't really want to hang on to it, because I know that he cheated on me, but after four years, it's a little harder to let go than I wanted it to be."

"Four years is quite a long time, to be fair. I don't blame you. Four years ago, I came out of a four year relationship and it took me a while to get out of it, but after about two weeks, I realised that there were better things to do in life than mope about a woman who obviously doesn't love me anymore."

"Four years ago? How old are you?" Sybil said, shocked that he could have got into a relationship eight years ago. He didn't look very old at all.

"I'm twenty three. I started going out with her when I was fifteen," Tom said.

"Oh!" Sybil said, shocked.

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking," Tom wondered, knowing that many women were sensitive about giving their age away.

"Eighteen. But I'll be nineteen in a month's time," Sybil replied.

"Ooh," Tom said, sympathetically. "I don't know how I'd cope if I found out that my girlfriend was cheating on me when I was eighteen."

"Well, to be fair to him, he didn't keep it a secret. He shagged her and then broke up with me the day after, and he told me why he was breaking up with me and everything. He didn't leave me in the dark and expect me to figure it out myself, thankfully. He was good in that way, and he'd always been so kind and loving, but I'd rather it ended where it did, rather than ending up marrying him and having to deal with him having a full-blown affair."

"I suppose that's true," Tom said thoughtfully.

"Why did you and your ex split up after four years?" Sybil asked.

"She just said that she didn't love me anymore and that we'd grown apart too much and that I was a completely different person to who I was when we first started dating, which I don't think is strictly true, but I didn't mind too much. At least she didn't drag me on any longer than that."

"So, we've both had our ups and downs," Sybil stated. "Have you been with anyone since then?" she asked.

"No. After having my heart broken once, I didn't want to risk it being fractured again by another faulty relationship. I guess I'm kind of scared now that my heart won't survive another gone wrong relationship," Tom answered.

"We're all a little bit broken and there are some things that will never heal completely, but they'll scar over. There'll always be a reminder of them there, but after a while, they stop hurting and you can continue in the normal way, even if you do return to those memories every once in a while. Things go wrong. Accidents happen. But time keeps ticking and the world keeps turning and soon enough we all realise that we've got a life to live and that we can't live it properly until we let those feelings scar over and sit as a gentle reminder that, yes, things do go wrong, but actually, that's what makes life so fantastic and so remarkable in a way that no science or logic can feasibly explain. Life's such an interesting thing and there's so much good stuff to smile about, but most people don't realise it until we're too old and weak to do anything about it because we spend too many years of our lives worrying about what other people think of us and how much we mean to everyone else. But, in reality, the only thing that really matters is your own happiness. And it may sound a little bit selfish, but, to be quite honest, if you're cheerful and are willing to be happy, then others around you become happy too. Some things aren't important in life and some things are. The hard thing is sorting each different aspect of life into one of those two piles, but there are always so many things going on that far too many of those aspects of life get put into a pile in the middle because we don't have a clear idea of what exactly should be in the important pile and what should be in the not important pile because nobody ever told us. There weren't ever lessons on it at school and life doesn't come with an instruction manual. Each of us is left to figure everything out ourselves and advice from others is usually rather pointless because something that's important to one person could be utterly unimportant to another, and everybody is unique. Nobody is the same as somebody else, so it's surprising just how much people nowadays are reliant on the decisions or opinions of others. Your own opinion is really the only one that counts and your own opinion is the only opinion that you should be listening to and if you listen too much to the opinion of others then suddenly you become controlled by the rest of the world and not by your own head and that's rather a frightening thought really. Power over one's own body is what we all think we have, but, in actual fact, it's the one thing that most of us don't have and won't ever really have until we realise that to value one's opinions is to control one's life. But the sad thing is that most people won't ever realise that because that's exactly what we're taught not to do. We get taught at school and through media that it's other people's opinions and feelings that matter, but really, nobody should be worrying about anybody else's feelings. Everybody should be in love with themselves. It's alright to love other people – your parents, your fiancé, your child, but they should never be at the top of the list. Loving yourself is the best way to start life. That's the best way to lead a life that's worth leading and that's the best way to have a life that you'll actually enjoy, a life that will create memories to keep forever. Love is the best thing in life, but one must love oneself before one loves anything else at all."

Tom stood back, astonished. Never in his life had he seen anyone say something so moving and so from the heart in continuous prose without any prompts from anything other than their own feelings. He stopped walking, his mouth open and his eyes wide. "You know so much more about life than most seventy year olds know, Sybil. You're far too understanding to only be eighteen!"

"I read a lot and I'm into politics. I like people who say what they really think, no matter what other people say of them. I'm surprised I just said all that though, to be honest. I've never done something like that without stalling or anything. I've always had to think about things before I say them when they're that sort of thing. Maybe you just bring out the best in me," Sybil said. Then she paused to think and realised something. "This probably sounds a bit odd because I've known you for the best part of ten minutes, but do you want to go out for dinner tonight, just you and me?"

"I'd love to," Tom replied softly.

"Alright then." Sybil rummaged around in her bag and found a scrap piece of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote some things down and gave the piece of paper to Tom. "There's my address and my mobile number." As she handed it over, her phone rang. She answered it once she'd found it at the bottom of her bag. "Hello? Yes, I know. I'm sorry, but I'm a free woman, I can do whatever I like. Fine. But I'm going out tonight," she smiled at Tom when she said this. "A friend. Oh, alright. You're such a pain, Mary. Okay, but you'll have to give me half an hour. Bye." She hung up and frowned at her phone. "Sorry, that was my sister. Family emergency at home. Why don't you pick me up at seven and we'll go for a meal? Make it a surprise. I'm fine with any food apart from sushi – I've never been able to deal with that. But you'll have to tell me whether I should dress posh or not. Fire me a text about that once you know where you want to take me." Tom nodded and smiled at Sybil. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and ran off to get home on time to see her granny.

All the way home the only thing she could think of was how lovely he was. She remembered his smell – his gorgeous smell. She didn't know what it was, but it was absolutely glorious. And then there was his Irish accent. She assumed that he hadn't been in England for too much of his life, or he'd have lost the accent when he was younger. And when she lifted up to kiss his cheek, she had placed her hand on his arm, and gosh was there a lot of muscle there! Maybe Tom was just the man she needed in her life. Maybe this was how she could start a new life away from the pain of family and miserable pasts.

As soon as she walked through the front door she was met by Mary. Although they got on rather well, Mary was often wondering where her youngest sister was and was acting as a second mother that Sybil certainly didn't need. "Where were you?" Mary asked sternly.

"I went for a walk, if you must know," Sybil replied, taking off her shoes.

"You went for a walk and in the space of time that you went for a walk you organised going out with a friend tonight?" she said suspiciously.

"Yes."

"You could have done that from home. That didn't require a walk, Sybil."

"No, _that_ didn't. But my brain needed some fresh air and some time to think, so I went for a walk."

"Fine. Granny's in the drawing room, by the way." Mary followed Sybil into the drawing room to meet with the rest of their family.

"Good morning, Granny," Sybil said as she went over to give her grandmother a light kiss on the cheek and a soft hug.

"Good morning, dear. Now, tell me, why did you leave the house this morning without telling anybody where you were going?" Sybil looked around, wondering who had told her grandmother about her morning's activities. Nobody gave anything away.

"I didn't want to make a fuss and I wanted to be alone. And I had my phone with me anyway. Things weren't as bad as people have made them out to be," she said defensively.

"And I hear you're going out with someone tonight?" she said, still wanting to find out every detail of her youngest granddaughter's life.

"Yes."

"Whom?" she asked firmly, prompting Sybil to elaborate.

"A friend."

"Yes, but whom?" her grandmother asked again.

"His name is Tom and I'm almost nineteen. I'm my own person, I don't have to tell you lot everything about my life," she stated as she stormed out of the room. She wasn't really angry with her family – not exactly, but she wanted to be able to do what she wanted without being interrogated.

Later that day, about an hour after lunch, she was sat at her desk doing some work when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw:

_One New Message  
Number Unknown_

She looked at the text. It was from Tom.

_This is Tom Branson (that random guy you met in the park). Go posh tonight. Be as dressy as you like. Can I pick you up at 6:30 instead of 7? Tom xx_

Sybil quickly saved Tom's number and replied to his message.

_No problem on the timing. Looking forward to it tonight. See you later. Sybil xx_

Sybil placed her phone down on the desk and continued working.

It was at about six that Sybil realised that she still hadn't got ready and that she only had about half an hour. "Shit!" she remarked. She immediately stopped what she was doing and ran over to rummage in her wardrobe. From what Tom had said earlier, _'It shows off your figure,'_ she could guess that he liked the style of dress she was already wearing (but preferably without the tear). She chose a similar black dress that was quite formal. It had a very dark blue pattern on it that could hardly be seen, but in the right light, it really did look gorgeous. She took off her ripped dress that she had been wearing earlier and quickly slid the posher one over her head, expertly doing up the zip in the centre of her back. She flung the dress she had been wearing all day on her bed and then went to her drawer to find a pair of black tights. She carefully slipped them on, trying not to ladder them and then found a little bag that she could use to hold her phone, purse and keys. She usually brought a book or two as well, but she had a feeling that she was not going to be getting bored tonight. She brushed her hair through, letting her natural waves fall loose. She put in a pair of simple silver earrings with a matching necklace. She touched up her makeup, keeping it similar to what she'd been wearing when she first met Tom, but wore slightly heavier eye makeup and wore red lipstick to replace the plain lip gloss she had worn previously that day. She managed to find a pair of heels that she knew were comfortable and that she knew went well with her dress. She didn't want to be caught out in a few hours' time with her feet killing her, making it impossible to enjoy the night, so she opted for comfort as she didn't know where Tom was taking her.

Sybil didn't have to wait long before the doorbell rang. Sybil grabbed a black shawl and left her room, wrapping it around her shoulders as she padded down the stairs on the balls of her feet to find that Edith had answered the door to Tom. She had led him into the hall and Edith was just about to go and fetch her sister, but turned around to see that Sybil was already walking down the stairs. Edith turned to leave once Sybil was down the stairs so she wasn't intruding on Sybil and Tom's evening, but she turned back briefly to say to Tom, "Don't bring her back too late or dad will never forgive you."

"I won't. I promise," Tom replied. He then turned to Sybil and said, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she said with a gentle smile. The two of them then walked out of the door and Tom opened the passenger side door to let Sybil in. Tom then walked around the front of the car and got in the driver's seat. "So where are we going?" Sybil asked.

"It's a surprise."

* * *

_I wrote this a while ago, but then didn't upload it because I didn't feel at all confident about it. Hopefully this fic will go on for a while because, having read through it again, I actually quite like the story line. Please review if you have a spare minute, and I hope you liked this little story._


	2. The Perfect Evening

**Chapter 2: The Perfect Evening**

When Tom and Sybil arrived at the restaurant, they sat at their table for two, which was tucked neatly away in a corner that they could now claim as their own for the night. After ordering a bottle of wine for them to share, Tom looked at Sybil and said, "Right then – tell me about you. I still don't know you, so tell me everything there is to know."

"Okay, then. I'm Sybil, I'm eighteen, I have two older sisters, one of whom is overprotective and acts as a second mother and the other of whom tends to stay out of the way of everyone."

"Which one opened the door to me when I arrived to pick you up?" Tom interrupted.

"That was Edith – she's the one who stays out of the way. Mary's taller and has dark hair and is the one who rang me and made me leave you in the middle of that walk." Tom nodded in understanding, as if he were letting Sybil know that that piece of information was lodged firmly into his mind, never to be knocked out by anything. "Mum's American and dad's nothing but British. And dad's far more overprotective of me than mum. He's the biggest reason that I was out of the house this morning when I met you. He was trying to be supportive about me having broken up with Larry, but he hasn't had a great deal of practice at being supportive, so he's not very good at it. Mum's much better at knowing when to give me a hug and when to leave me alone. And then Granny always tries to know where I am, which can get a bit annoying, but I know she's always got my best interest at heart. The only problem with that is that she doesn't understand that life for an eighteen year old now is different from life for an eighteen year old when she was that age."

"So, that's your family," Tom said, after a slight pause. "What about you, though? What do you like to do? How did you get from the person you were ten years ago to who you are now?"

"Well, when I was younger, I always wanted to be doing something. It didn't necessarily have to be productive in the long-term, but I had to be doing something – anything that kept me busy. I got bored rather easily, so I had to be creative with finding things to fill the time. I ended up playing lots of little games on my own. And then later on, when I was doing all my exams, I always wanted to be at the top. I wanted to be able to get all the highest grades, but I also wanted to be liked by everybody else, and I knew that it would be quite hard to have both. I know that I get jealous of people who are better than me, but I didn't want to be the one to make others jealous. So, I think that taught me to be modest about it, really. When I was in year 7 and 8, I loved being at the top of the class and when I got a good grade I was more than happy to flaunt it. But then I had a bit of a bad patch and slipped down to average rather than above average, which really knocked my confidence, and I realised how much I hated it when other people told me how absolutely fantastic their results were. So, when I finally managed to climb back to the top of the leader board, I was always quite modest about my results. If someone asked me what I got, I would tell them, but I wouldn't say anything unless they asked me first."

"Well, it sounds like you're clever. How did you do in your GCSEs, if you don't mind me asking," Tom said.

"No, I don't mind at all. I got eight A*s and two As."

"Bloody hell!" Tom exclaimed. "How did you manage to do that?"

"I worked to the point of tears. Although, that was mostly because I was doing some subjects that I hated – art and French being the main ones."

"And I presume that art and French are the two that you got an A in?" Tom guessed.

"Yes. And, considering I refused to do most of the work that my teachers told me to do, I think that's quite impressive."

"That's very impressive! I was super proud of every single A I got!"

"So what did you get?"

"I managed an A* in English, and then three As, six Bs and a C."

"Not too shabby!" Sybil said light-heartedly.

"Certainly not!" Tom agreed. "So, what else is there to know about you?" Just at that moment, the bottle of wine turned up, so Sybil waited until the glasses had been poured before she answered his question.

"Well, all that happened when I was in those first years of secondary school shaped me into a nicer teenager and my parents were astonished at how well the teachers always said I was in my reports, because I was rather a rebellious teenager with my parents. I was willing to obey the rules at school that were set by the teachers because they were there to enable me to do well, but it seemed to me that my parents' rules for me were stupid and they treated me based on their experiences with Mary and Edith, but I'm completely different from them, so the rules that had worked for them, didn't work for me and that infuriated me, so that's why my relationship with my father is usually on shaky ground. But I'm kind of glad about it. It's made me get to know my own mind a lot more, which I'm glad of. I like being able to have my own opinions and use them appropriately."

"I know that feeling. My family all has some very strong opinions and although my opinions are usually the same as theirs, there are some things on which we differ dramatically and that's led to some strongly-worded arguments in the past." Sybil laughed at Tom's comment. "Do you know what you want to do? I mean, as a career?"

"I think I want to be a nurse. I'm on a gap year at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that's the direction I'm headed."

"I think it'd suit you as a job. At least, from what I know about you so far."

"Thanks," Sybil said with a smile. "And while we're on that subject, I've been talking about myself for far too long. What do you do?"

"I'm a journalist," Tom replied. "My mother thought it'd be a job that suits me, so I gave it a go and I love it."

"But what is it that makes you love it, though? Why do you love it more than the next bloke would?"

"I like being able to express my opinions and I love meeting new people. I like the idea of different people having completely different views on exactly the same thing. I think human nature's so interesting. I mean, nobody will ever really know what goes on inside another person's head. Maybe I could be thinking really similar things to another person, and never know it because they express themselves differently. I think that fascination started when I was in year 7 at school. In a biology lesson, one of the boys in my class asked the teacher if different people saw the same thing as a different colour." Sybil frowned in confusion. "Okay," Tom said, preparing to explain the situation, but then the waiter came along and asked what they wanted to eat, so they quickly made their orders before returning to their conversation. "Right. Do you agree that is red?" Tom asked, pointing to the embroidered flowers on the edge of the table cloth. Sybil nodded. "Right, well what if you see it as red, but I see it as the colour that you think is green, but I call it red because that's what we've all been told is red."

"That's so weird…" Sybil said after a moment of contemplation.

"The same goes for tastes. It could be that your definition of the taste of chicken is my definition of the taste of broccoli." Sybil smiled at him in awe and disbelief. "That's why I'm so interested in human nature because it's so complicated that there is no chance that we'll ever know everything that's happening within our species. There's always an element of wonder to every person you'll ever meet and I like that sense of mystery. I think it's rather fitting in a funny way," Tom said.

Over the course of the meal, Tom realised how interesting Sybil was. He had thought that she'd have a clever way of thinking because of the way she had been so articulate when they were walking earlier in the day, but he didn't know whether she would be like that all the time. However, after spending the time with her this evening, he knew that she was more than just a pretty face. Tom loved being able to have an intelligent conversation without having to shout about opposing opinions. They were both intellectual and they matched each other extremely well. By the end of the meal, he was beginning to realise just how much potential he could have with this woman. This relationship could go somewhere that he really did want it to go and this could very well be the beginning of a new chapter in his life. It could possibly be the best chapter of his life, but it could also be the worst. He'd simply have to wait and see.

As the two of them walked out of the restaurant, Sybil began to drift slowly towards the car, but Tom led her the other way. "I thought we'd go for a walk. It's still light," Tom suggested. Sybil smiled and willingly went with him. After finding their way through some little footpaths overgrown with bramble and vines, they came out at a large green field that was almost completely devoid of people. Within the space of only two minutes walking in the field, Sybil stopped to take her shoes off. It hadn't been long, but she knew that if she kept walking in them for much longer, her feet would ache like anything. She picked them up and carried them loosely in one hand, the other keeping her shawl pinned together in the centre of her chest. Tom slid one arm around her waist so that his hand was resting on her side. She gently leant into him as they continued to walk around the field. "I like you, Sybil. You're different to any other woman I've ever met," Tom said, complimenting her.

"Thanks. I take it that's a good thing."

"That's a very good thing," Tom confirmed.

"Well, if it means anything, I'm pretty sure I like you too."

"I'm glad." Just at that moment, a heavy breeze hit the two of them and Sybil's body shook in the cold. "Here, have this," Tom said, beginning to shrug off his jacket.

"No!" Sybil said strongly. "You'll get cold. You're only wearing a shirt under that. Besides, I've got my shawl. I'll manage." Tom put his jacket back over his shoulders and held Sybil again in his arm. "So, you're Irish," Sybil observed.

"I am indeed," Tom said.

"So, how long have you been in England for? And how come? I'm willing to assume that you haven't lived here for a great deal of time or you'd have lost your accent."

"I haven't been in England too long – around about two years I think and it was because I wanted something different. Obviously, I lived in Ireland my entire life with my family, but then after university, I felt sort of lost and wanted to get away from my life really."

"I know the feeling. My parents are really supportive, but I really want to make my own life for myself. Most of the time I swear that they don't realise that I'm a different person to them who wants something different from life."

Sybil and Tom were walking for a couple of hours and getting to know each other. Eventually they decided to go back to the car so that Tom could drive Sybil back home. Tom remembered the warning Edith had given him to not bring her back too late, but Sybil was adamant with him that it didn't matter and that she didn't mind if she was out late. Tom, however, didn't want to get off to a bad start with Sybil's family, especially after hearing how protective Robert was over his youngest daughter. At the edge of the field, at the start of the footpath, Sybil stopped to put her shoes on, but Tom took her by surprise and picked her up to carry her to the car. She let out a slight scream of shock, but then fastened her arms around his neck. "Tom, you're not going to be able to carry me the whole way to the car."

"Yes I will," Tom said smugly as he started to walk. Sybil noticed that he wasn't straining at all and that he really was making light work of carrying her. "You'll see." Sybil laughed at this.

"Are you trying to show off?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's necessarily showing off, but more, umm," Tom paused to think, "demonstrating my skills!" Sybil laughed.

"That's a great way to put it! You know you're making yourself seem better and better by the minute."

"That's the idea!" Tom remarked. Tom managed to make Sybil laugh most of the way back to the car, but only put her down when he was standing right next to the car, so that she didn't have to walk on any hard and uncomfortable ground. He unlocked the car and opened the door for Sybil. She stepped up into the car, still wearing no shoes and waited for Tom to walk around the front of the car, get in his side and start the engine. As he drove her home, she looked out of the window and took in the scenery, lit by old street lights and the odd car headlights. She liked the tranquillity of midnight. She knew that her father wouldn't want her to be out so late, but it certainly wasn't a new thing for her to disobey his orders and do what she wanted to do instead.

After about ten minutes of driving with only the odd thing spoken by either one of them, Tom said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You're being quiet. You've been really energetic all evening and it just seems like you've hit a low," he said, concerned.

"No, everything's alright. I'm just trying to take everything in."

"I'm not trying to pressure you into anything. If you want me to back off, I'm more than willing to."

"No, no, no!" Sybil exclaimed. "I've really enjoyed my evening. It's been one of the best nights of my life, Tom. I'm just trying to fathom how it was so good – you're the nicest guy I've ever met. It kind of seems like, since everything's gone so well, something's bound to go dramatically wrong sometime soon."

"I suppose that's kind of a good sign, but I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing goes too badly wrong," Tom said gently with a smile.

When Tom pulled up outside Sybil's house, they each got out of the car and Tom walked her to the front door. "That was a really wonderful evening, Tom. Thank you for taking me," Sybil said.

"Thank you for asking me out – you're the one who suggested going out for dinner," Tom said. "And I'm really glad you did. I really did enjoy myself."

"Good. Hopefully we can get together again soon," Sybil said.

"If we don't, I'll come and find you, sweep you off your feet and make you fall in love with me!" Tom said with a laugh.

"It's going to be hard to do what you've already done," Sybil said, warily, knowing that he might be taken aback by her forwardness. "You've already swept me off my feet – quite literally, and I may not have fallen yet, but I know I'm beginning to topple." Tom smiled at Sybil's comment, completely flattered.

"I promise to catch you before you hit the ground," he said.

"Well, it's comforting to know that somebody's there to save me," she smiled at him, admiration in her eyes.

"I'll always be there if you need anything," he said. She rose on her tiptoes and placed a soft, yet slightly lingering kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you; that means a lot," she said quietly. She turned to her front door, and turned back to Tom, shooting him a smile as she closed it.

As she turned around to make her way up the stairs she saw her father standing in the hallway. _Shit!_ "Where have you been?" he shouted loudly.

"You know perfectly well that I was out with Tom," Sybil replied, much quieter so as not to wake the rest of her family.

"You know better than to stay out until gone midnight! Especially with a young man whom you don't know!" he screamed at her.

"The whole point of this date was to get to know him, dad. How else am I supposed to get to know him? How does one get to know anyone if they never go out and talk to them?" she was beginning to raise her own voice now.

"Sybil, you cannot go on defying the rules of this house forever!"

"Why not? I've managed it for eighteen years – I can manage for another couple of years, dad! I'm not going to stay here forever! You can't force me into doing anything – I have my own opinions!"

"Will you two stop shouting?" Sybil's mother said in a hushed, but stern voice at the top of the stairs. Sybil stormed away from her father, ran up the stairs and fumed into her room.

This was one of those times when her mother knew that it was best to leave her alone, so she had some space to think. It had been such a brilliant day. She'd met Tom that morning, and had spent the best evening in a long time with him, getting to know what he was like and realising that the relationship that was beginning to form could easily go somewhere fantastic. And then her father had had to ruin her perfect day, simply because he held the opinion that he had to defend her from every single obstacle in life. He had never let her get over them or around them herself; he always had to take it upon himself to make sure that nothing could ever hurt her. And when she was younger, she was grateful for that, but since being a teenager she had felt that she would never get better at anything unless she learned from her mistakes; but she would never make any mistakes if her father wouldn't let her do so.

She whipped off her clothes, thinking back to when Tom had picked her up and called her beautiful. She smiled at the thought. She slipped into her purple and red tartan pyjama bottoms and a white vest-top. She crawled into bed, unsure what to think. Should she have been pleased that she finally seemed to have been getting over Larry, happy that she had met Tom and that they had clicked on every level, or upset and angry that her father was trying to control her life too much. She had too much floating around her head with too many conflicting feelings. She loved her father, but she also loved the prospect of creating her own life for herself, and it was possible that she loved Tom, though she wasn't sure on that one yet. She tried to unscramble her brain and figure out what to do, but fell asleep with her thoughts chasing one another around her mind.

* * *

_Hopefully this has reached the expectations of those of you who were waiting for this chapter. Thank you for all the support you lot have given me on this fic so far. I really do appreciate every favourite, follow and review._


	3. Away From Home

**Chapter 3: Away From Home**

Sybil groaned as she heard her mobile phone play _At the End of the Day_ from _Les Misérables_. "Hello?" she said, rubbing her eyes to wake her up. She sat up in bed, and then heard Larry's voice.

"Hi, Sybil. It's me."

"What do you want, Larry?" Sybil huffed, not wanting anything to do with her ex.

"I still love you, Sybil," he said down the phone.

"Yeah, well, you screwed someone else in your spare time and that was your fault and now, as much as you might love me, I really don't love you, so I'm not going to get back together with you, Larry," Sybil said strongly.

"But, Syb, it was an accident – you know that," he said, pleading desperately with her.

"How exactly? How can you fuck someone accidentally? It wasn't magic, Larry; it was you cheating on me and knowing perfectly well that that's what you were doing."

"It was only one time, though."

"Was it?" Sybil said, beginning to get a bit fed up. "Hypothetically, if I were ever to get back together with you, which I'm not, by the way, I would never be able to feel confident that you would stay loyal to me."

"But, will you think about it?" he asked in hope.

"Not a hope in hell! Besides, I've moved on – I've met someone and I don't want you coming along and screwing everything up between us."

"But, Syb, you don't under-"

"Goodbye, Larry," Sybil sighed, hanging up the phone and falling back to sleep.

When Sybil woke up properly about half an hour later, she pulled on a pair of old, tatty jeans and a plain long sleeved black top. She chose a heart locket that she'd had since she was five and put a pair of plain diamond earrings in before wandering downstairs to grab a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. When she sat at the kitchen table to have her breakfast, both Mary and Edith walked in. Surprisingly, they were chatting as if they were friends, and not trying to bite each other's heads off. "Morning," Edith said to Sybil.

"Morning," Sybil said.

"You sound cheerful," Mary acknowledged.

"I am," she replied.

"So you enjoyed your evening with Tom, I take it?" Edith asked.

"I certainly did," she said with a grin.

"You only broke up with Larry a couple of weeks ago," Mary stated. "I'm surprised that you haven't spoken to him and have already got over him completely." _Actually, I did speak to him_, Sybil thought. _But I still hate him._ She decided not to say this out loud, as she knew that Mary would make a big thing of it. Instead, she didn't reply to Mary's comment at all. She stayed just as quiet as she had been for the past few weeks, but this time not because of mourning for her relationship with Larry, but because she was confused. Was it right that she'd got over him and clicked with Tom in such a small space of time?

After finishing her breakfast, she got up from the table and put her bowl, spoon and glass in the half-full dishwasher. She returned back upstairs, planning on doing some more work. Although she was on a gap year and wasn't doing any studying for classes, she still wanted to educate herself. She couldn't stand not doing anything, so she studied anything that took her fancy – some history, some geography, some Latin, some science – she was just determined to learn something new. She managed to do a little bit of work, but Mary's comment about breaking up with Larry was stuck in her head. Had she got over him too quickly? Was she a little too blunt with him this morning? Or was it right to tell him outright that he didn't have half a chance with her? With a few minutes of contemplation, she decided to ring Tom. "Hello?" he said into his phone.

"Hi, Tom, it's Sybil," she said.

"Are you alright? You sound a bit upset," he said, concerned for her.

"Umm, yeah. Are you busy today?" she asked.

"No, do you want to come round? You sound really depressed," Tom offered.

"Sorry. Umm, would you mind? I feel like I need someone to talk to, that's all," Sybil admitted.

"No, of course I don't mind. You don't know where I live, though. I could come and pick you up now if you want," he said.

"That'd be really nice, actually. Sorry for making you do this. If you've got more important things to do, then don't worry about it," Sybil said, trying to make it clear that she knew how clingy she was coming across.

"At the moment, Sybil, there isn't much that's more important than you," he said gently. "I'm on my way." They each hung up the phone. Sybil didn't know how far away Tom lived, so she got her coat and bag ready so that she could easily grab them as soon as he turned up.

Before long, Tom arrived and Sybil went with him. Edith was the only member of her family whom she could find, so she was the only person whom she told where she was going, but she didn't tell her when she expected to be back home, because she, herself had no clue. She climbed into the passenger seat and waited for Tom to start the engine and drive off. It didn't take long to arrive at Tom's house. Sybil hadn't been around his neighbourhood much, but she vaguely knew where she was in relation to her own house. He led her into his house and she made herself comfortable on the sofa as he went to make her a cup of tea to cheer her up. When he came back to give her the mug full of hot liquid, he said, "What's wrong? Something's very obviously up."

"Well, you know about Larry," Sybil said. Tom sat next to her and listened. "Well, this morning he rang me to ask if I'd get back together with him. And, you know, of course I refused to have anything more to do with him, but then this morning, Mary mentioned how I got ever him so quickly and now I'm doubting everything and I don't know what to do." Sybil wiped her cheeks clear of tears and took a small sip of tea.

"Hey," Tom said softly, brushing the back of a finger over her cheek and then pulling her into a hug. "It'll be alright. Trust me, things will sort themselves out. If you're certain that you're never going near him again, then why worry about it?"

"Because Mary messes with my head, and you'd have thought I'd have learned to stop listening to her after eighteen years, but she's usually right and I'm usually wrong," Sybil said, trying to stop her body from shaking.

"There is no way that you're usually wrong, Sybil. I refuse to accept that," Tom said reassuringly, holding her tighter. "Sometimes, sure. But there's not a chance that you're usually wrong." Sybil smiled weakly. "Look at me," he said, a finger gently under her chin. "This might be a bit out of line, but, from what I can see, I like you more than Larry does – or at the very least, I have more respect for you than Larry does."

"That's fair. I think that's probably right."

"So, forget about him. From what I've gathered so far, he was only with you – by the end of the relationship at least – for a good time in bed." Sybil sighed and drank more of her tea. "Things will be fine. I promise. I'll do what I can to make you more cheerful. Why don't you stay here today?" Sybil looked up at him with a half-shocked-half-worried expression. "Why not? I'm not doing anything and surely it's better than sitting at home all day?"

"I suppose that's true," Sybil admitted. "Would you mind though? I don't want to stop you from doing anything else that you'd rather do."

"Sybil, I like you. Spending my day with you sounds perfect." Sybil smiled at Tom's comment.

"Thank you," Sybil said. "You've made things less painful for me." Tom placed a finger gently under her chin again and lifted it so that her eyes met with his. He placed a soft kiss on her voluptuous lips, letting her know just how much he already meant to her.

"Glad to be of service," Tom said after pulling away.

Later on that day, Tom and Sybil were sharing a takeaway pizza whilst playing a game of Monopoly. They had been playing it for a couple of hours and it was clear that Tom was probably going to be the one to lose all of his money first. Sybil was sat across the board from Tom so that she could keep her money and property cards in order. Tom had just rolled the dice when Sybil's phone played _At the End of the Day_ for the second time that day. _This had better not be Larry_, she thought as she stood up to walk across to her bag to rummage for her phone. "Hello?" she said, after reading the caller ID as _Home_. "With Tom. I did tell Edith where I was; did she not tell you? Oh, well that's not my fault, is it? Yeah, I know. Okay then, bye." She walked back over to sit by the Monopoly board after flinging her phone back in her bag. "Sorry," she said to Tom. "That was mum wanting to know where I've been all day."

"Does she want you back home?"

"Probably, but I don't really want to go back home. I think she just wanted to make sure that I was safe."

"Fair enough. My mam does the same thing. She's been checking up on me more and more since I moved to England. If you want to go home at any point, just tell me and I'll be more than willing to take you," Tom said.

"Thanks, but I'd rather stay here."

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" Tom asked.

"I haven't got any plans at the moment," Sybil said, rolling the dice. "Why do you ask?"

"Just because I'm happy for you to spend the night here if you'd rather avoid your family."

"That's really sweet of you," Sybil said, feeling her cheeks redden slightly.

"I realise you don't have any pyjamas or anything, but I've got a decent spare bedroom that you could use," Tom said.

"I might take you up on that," Sybil said, crossing her legs on the floor.

Later that day, after Sybil had won the game of Monopoly, she and Tom decided against staying up too late and chose to go to bed instead. It was at this point that they both realised that, although they were both tired and wanted to go to bed, they also wanted desperately to continue to talk to each other – even if the conversation deteriorated into almost nothingness, they wanted to be able to hear each other's voices, or at least be in the presence of one another. "Why don't you sleep in my bed?" Tom suggested. "I know it might seem a bit forward, but it is only sleeping, and I don't really want to leave you. Besides, my bed's more comfortable than the one in the spare room."

"Are you sure?" Sybil asked. "I don't want to intrude on your personal space."

"You won't be intruding on my personal space, Syb. I promise you that," Tom reassured her, tightening his grip around her waist slightly. "If you'd rather have a bed to yourself, I completely understand, though. I don't want to pressure you into anything at all. I just thought I'd let you know that if you wanted company tonight, you'd be more than welcome to have it." He smiled at her gently and inclined his head to give her a kiss.

"That sounds really nice," Sybil said once she had broken away from Tom's lips. "But only as long as you promise not to tell Mary or my father. If they find out that I'm in a bed with a man I've known for the grand total of two days they'll have a hissy fit and I wouldn't be surprised if dad banned me from leaving the house or gave me an eight o'clock curfew or something."

"I swear on my life that I won't tell anyone. It'll be between you and me and nobody will ever know," Tom said sweetly as the two of them began to walk up the stairs, turning the lights out as they went. Tom had to lead the way, as Sybil didn't know where anything was. He pointed out the bathroom to her, just in case, and then he led her to his bedroom.

When they got into his room, they both started to undress. Tom managed to get undressed quicker than Sybil. He pulled his top off from behind his neck and flung it to the side of the room – he was too tired to deal with it now. He then undid his jeans and slid them off, kicking them towards his discarded top, finishing the pile of dirty clothes off with two socks. He was naked apart from his boxers as he scrambled into bed to stop the chilly night air hitting him like a wall of ice. Sybil was only half undressed at this point. She'd been sorting out her jewellery beforehand, so, so far, she'd only managed to get her top off. She carefully shimmied her jeans off and put her clothes in a neat pile on the floor by the foot of the bed. She was now wearing only her knickers and bra, which were both plain and not very interesting, but they were comfortable. She nipped quickly to the bathroom. When she came back she found that the main light of Tom's bedroom was turned off, but his bedside light was on, allowing rather a lot of light into the room. Tom stared at Sybil as she walked around to the right side of the bed and slid under the covers beside him. "You look gorgeous," he commented. Sybil could feel herself blushing a little. She looked down and said,

"Thanks. But, it's just my body. It's nothing special."

"I beg to differ," Tom said as he let his hand peruse her waistline slowly and carefully. He gave her a soft kiss, but then settled down to let himself and his new girl get some sleep. He turned off the light and turned into Sybil slightly. She placed her arm over his torso and found comfort in feeling the rise and fall of his chest corresponding to his breathing. She nuzzled her head slightly into the crook of his arm and she let him hold her softly. She smiled slightly at the thought of spending the night with Tom. "Hey, Sybil," Tom murmured quietly.

"Mmm," Sybil mumbled in reply.

"Aren't your parents going to wonder where you are if you don't return home soon?"

"Dad might. But mum knows I've been here all day and she's always been much more relaxed about this sort of thing than dad has. If dad realises I've gone, mum will put his mind at ease. Besides, if I tell him, he'll just order me to come home, and I don't want that." Sybil could sense Tom's smile. "Thank you for letting me stay. And thank you for letting me sleep in your bed and take up your room."

"You don't need to thank me for anything. You mean the world to me, Sybil. I would do this for you any day." He pressed a kiss gently through her hair, and soon the two of them were fast asleep.

The next morning, the young couple were woken up by Tom's phone ringing. He rolled over, picked it up and pressed the green button. "Hello?" he said wearily. He was obviously not very awake and was clearly not in the mood to get up. "Yeah I know. I might have to cancel. Because I'm with Sybil. No! Don't be horrible! She just shared my bed, that's all. No, but…" Tom hung up, not wanting to argue with Thomas, his best friend, at this point. He was fed up of being told by others what he should and shouldn't do with a girl. Sybil wriggled so that she could look at Tom properly. She sat with her legs crossed and her back slouched. She stretched her arms in front of herself.

"I hope I'm not making you cancel any plans because of me," she said seriously.

"No, I'm not cancelling things because of you," Tom said. "I didn't want to go out with the guys today anyway, so you just happened to be here at a convenient time."

"Fair enough," Sybil said, not minding that Tom was using her presence as an excuse – she'd done the same with her own family members before and she knew exactly what it felt like to have to go somewhere when she really didn't want to. "But I can't stay all day today. My shift at the hospital starts at two this afternoon and I'm going to need to go home to get my uniform and things."

"I swear you said you didn't work…" Tom mentioned.

"Well, it's very part time. And it's not the most exciting job. It's just admin and stuff really, but it keeps me in touch with the hospital so that I'm on good terms with them when I get my degree and things. And it gives me something to do. I can't sit around and do nothing all the time," Sybil said.

"Oh, well, I'll take you back home later if you want," Tom offered.

"Thanks. But aren't you working today?" Sybil asked, not wanting to stop him from doing what he had to.

"No. There's a strike going on this week. It doesn't affect me directly, but I've gone on strike to support those who really need it."

"That's nice. Unfortunately, a hospital isn't really one of those places where strikes are possible. It's a bit tricky to pack up everything, leaving a queue of injured and ill people waiting by the hospital doors."

"I suppose that's true," Tom said. He kissed Sybil on the forehead as a good morning.

"Can I use some of your toothpaste?" Sybil asked as she slid out of bed and walked to the end of the bed.

"Yeah, of course you can. It's on the shelf in the bathroom."

"Thanks," she said, as she walked out of the room. As she left, Tom admired the curves of her body. Her clothes had shown her off quite well, but now that he was seeing her skin with no barriers, he noticed her curves even more. Her breasts were held in a beautiful shape by her bra. Her waist went in before her hips went out again. Tom loved that beautiful hourglass figure, but he never thought that he'd ever go out with a woman who had such a figure. Everything about her body was perfect. She obviously cared for her body, but Tom liked that it didn't define her. He liked that she was happy to eat pizza from time to time and he liked that she wasn't so obsessed with her body that she hated it. She was willing to strip to her underwear and let Tom touch her skin. She looked after herself, but wasn't afraid. Tom liked that. He liked her.

* * *

___I know this has kind of been a long time coming, but that's because life got in the way a bit (I really wish it didn't do that). Hopefully you like this chapter. I know they're going a bit fast (which a lot of you didn't like in one of the other fics I've written), but for this fic I've actually got something planned rather than making it up as I go along, so everything will sort itself out - I promise! Please review if you have the time and favourite and/or follow if you feel this story is good enough. Your support means everything to me._


	4. An Argument of Ownership

**Chapter 4: An Argument of Ownership**

Sybil ran her fingers through her hair as she read the text from her sister. She'd already had three missed calls from Mary, two from her father and one from her mother, along with seven texts in total from various family members. She'd acknowledged every text and call, but she had chosen to ignore them so far, not wanting to ruin her time with Tom by fighting over the phone with her family. After reading Mary's desperate text, she decided that she'd had enough and dialled the number for her home as she walked out of the room and into the hall to get a little bit of privacy from Tom. "Hello?" came Mary's voice.

"Hi, Mary, it's me," Sybil said calmly.

"Oh my God, Sybil – where the hell have you been?" Mary almost hollered down the phone.

"Where do you think I've been?" Sybil said, knowing perfectly well that her sister could guess where she'd spent the night.

"Sybil, we spent half the night wondering where you were!"

"Why? I told Edith where I was yesterday and mum rang and I told her where I was as well," Sybil said, not wanting to have an over-the-phone argument with her sister.

"You didn't tell us you were staying the night, and then you weren't answering your phone to any of us!" Mary said loudly. She sounded annoyed and worried at the same time. It wasn't an uncommon tone of voice for Mary.

"That's because I wanted some privacy. I'm eighteen – you lot can't baby me forever!" she was beginning to raise her voice now. She was fed up of having her family tell her what she could and couldn't do.

"We're not trying to baby you, Sybil."

"Yes you are!"

"No, we're not. We're trying to look out for you, Sybil!" Mary paused and sighed before continuing. "You didn't get yourself into any trouble last night did you?"

"No, I did not!" Sybil said, getting heated and speaking loudly. "Not that it's any of your business what I do with my time. He invited me to stay the night, so I did. It's not my fault that you're all pushing me out so much that I don't want to come home anymore!" Despite Sybil's care to stay calm at the beginning of the conversation, she was now shouting into her phone.

"Sybil, you've got to be careful. You don't know him."

"No, Mary. _You_ don't know him. I know him and I trust him, and I don't care what you have to say about it."

"You can't just climb into bed with someone you've just met."

"I didn't _just climb into bed with someone I just met_, Mary!" Sybil hollered firmly, mocking Mary's voice as she quoted her words. "I wouldn't be surprised if I know him better than you know Matthew."

"Don't you dare drag Matthew into this conversation, Sybil. My relationship with Matthew is nothing to do with you," Mary said defensively and at full volume. Mary and Matthew had been through some tough times together as a couple and they were currently in shaky territory. Sybil knew that she was walking on thin ice.

"Then why the hell is my relationship with Tom any of _your_ business?"

"I'm looking out for you, Sybil. So is everyone else – we care about you."

"Well, I'd rather you stopped chasing after me when I'm living my own life. The best way in which you can look out for me is to leave me alone unless I blatantly ask you for something!"

"Sybil, you've got to come home," Mary said, giving up on the debate. She didn't want to make Sybil even more upset. "Dad needs to know that you're alright."

"Dad doesn't need to know anything about me! I'm my own person! He doesn't own me!" There was a slight pause before she said anything else. "I'm coming home later anyway. I've got to get ready to go to work."

"Good. But, don't do anything stupid. Keep yourself safe, Sybil," Mary warned.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid, Mary," Sybil said, much more relaxed and gentle now, but still with a bit of fire in her voice.

"See you later then."

"Okay, bye," Sybil said before hanging up the phone. Sybil put her hand on her forehead where she could tell a headache was beginning to form. She turned on the spot and saw Tom leaning against the door frame to the living room. "Hey," she said wearily. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Less than ten seconds," Tom replied with a tender smile. He held out his arms and offered Sybil a hug. She took it gladly. As he wrapped his arms around her, she buried her head in his chest, pressed her body against his, and sobbed into his shirt. "Hey, hey, hey," Tom said gently, trying to sooth Sybil. He rubbed her back softly to comfort her. "It's alright, Syb. Everything's going to be fine." Sybil pulled away slightly and wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. Tom lifted his hand and smoothed one finger over her cheek, causing her to smile ever so slightly. "I'll help you get through this, okay? I'll be here for you if you need me, I promise." He stroked her arm lightly, letting her know that he would always be where she needed him to be, no matter what he had to go through to be there.

"Thank you," she mumbled through shaky breathing.

"You don't need to thank me for anything. If there's one person that I want to be there for, it's you. Come on," Tom said as he turned his body slightly into the room and away from the hallway. "Why don't we watch some TV or something? Forget about what Mary said. Think about right now instead of about when you go back home." Sybil nodded without words and let him lead her to the sofa. He didn't take his arm from around her back until they were sitting on the sofa, and even then, Sybil snuggled close to him. She was desperate for the intimacy. She didn't care that she might be being a bit clingy, or that she might be being a bit irritating or that she might be intruding on Tom's personal space. She believed that he had enough common sense and trusted her enough to tell her if he wanted her to back off a bit. It had been a long time since Sybil had felt loved and wanted by anyone – or, at least, it felt like a lifetime since she felt truly important to somebody else. She loved the feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist, the smell of his aftershave and the scent it left on his clothes, the sensation she got when his fingers wandered aimlessly over her skin and the feeling of his lips against hers.

Sybil woke up to the sound of a siren outside. She saw the blue lights pattern the walls of Tom's living room and then move on to momentarily pattern the walls of the front rooms of every house in the street. She moved slightly and realised that she was leaning heavily on Tom's chest. She sat up slowly and asked how long she'd been asleep for. "About two hours," Tom replied.

"Really that long?" Sybil asked, more to herself than to Tom. "Sorry."

"What for?" Tom said. "You were obviously tired. I wasn't about to wake you up and make you grumpy."

"Hey, how do you know I'm grumpy when I'm tired?" Sybil asked with a laugh.

"It was a good guess," Tom said. Sybil stood up and started to make her way towards the kitchen. She got out a mug, but then thought that Tom might want a drink too. She turned the kettle on and then called to Tom,

"Hey, Tom, do you want anything to drink?" Tom stood up and plodded into the kitchen.

"You shouldn't be making drinks here," he said, sneaking up behind her, resting the front of his body against the back of hers. He snaked his arms around her waist and leant down to rest his head on her shoulder. "You're my guest. I'm the one who should be waiting on you hand and foot." Tom twisted her in his arms, picked her up and spun her round, her legs clinging to his waist and her arms around his neck. After a few rotations, he put her down and turned to make the pair of them some drinks.

"Yes, you might be right, but I've been a pain, so I need to make it up to you." Tom poured the boiling water into the mugs and, after giving them a quick stir, turned around and looked at Sybil. He took her cheek in one hand, and whispered,

"You never need to make anything up to me. Just being here is enough for me." He leant down and gently locked his lips on hers. Tom slid his tongue over the parting of Sybil's voluptuous lips, politely asking without words if he was allowed to explore her mouth. She parted her lips not too wide, but wide enough to let Tom slide his tongue to meet her own. He slid his hands down to her waist softly and slowly. For a while, Sybil's tongue jousted with Tom's, not letting him explore as much as he wanted to. But he didn't push past what Sybil wanted. She was getting a feel for what Tom wanted. By seeing how far he would let his tongue go, she could tell how willing he was to wait and how eager he was to go. Once she felt satisfied that she knew of his intentions, she allowed his tongue to slip further and explore every part of her mouth. As his tongue was in her mouth, hers was in his. She explored everything that she could, her lips parting wider as she did so. She let out a small moan from the depths of her throat and Tom tightened his grasp around her waist, supporting her with his large hands and strong arms. The two of them pulled away from each other reluctantly and each of them took a deep and much needed breath. Sybil giggled quietly and Tom smiled at her.

"Thanks," Sybil said, quietly, a smile still plastered upon her face.

"You don't need to thank me for kissing you. I love you, Sybil," he whispered into her ear. This didn't take her aback at all. It may have happened quickly – from meeting, to getting to know one another, to liking each other, to loving each other – but she felt exactly the same way. Tom was important to her in a way that she didn't know was possible. Between them, things were going very, very well so far.

Before long, the young couple were in Tom's car, on the way back to Sybil's house. She wasn't looking forward to facing her family. She was willing to assume that once she was back in her own house, her father and eldest sister would turn on her, Edith would stay out of the way and her mother wouldn't know which side to be on. Her assumptions were correct.

When Tom pulled up outside her house, she advised him to stay in the car so that he wouldn't get ripped to shreds by Mary, but he insisted on at least waiting by her front door. So he turned the engine off and walked her to her front door. "Are you ready to face your family?" Tom asked, squeezing her hand.

"No, but I've got to do it sooner or later," Sybil said, raising her eyebrows and turning to put her key in the lock. Tom stepped into the house behind her and closed the door gently. He took a few seconds to look around the great hall of Sybil's grand childhood home, before the entirety of Sybil's family rushed into the large space. Sybil was still holding Tom's hand, and she squeezed it harder when she made eye contact with Mary.

"Oh, thank God it's you, Sybil!" she said with relief.

"Where have you been? And who the hell is this?" Robert shouted at his youngest daughter, gesturing towards Tom.

"This is Tom. I spent the night at his house," Sybil replied calmly. Cora offered Tom a kind smile, which he gladly returned. Edith came and gave Sybil a hug, smiling at her afterwards; a smile which Sybil sent back towards her sister. Edith had got the balance of caring for Sybil and letting Sybil do what she wanted just right. It was certainly a much better balance than that of Mary or Robert.

"You didn't answer any of our calls and we were up half the night worrying about you!" Robert shouted again.

"Yeah, I know. You don't have to give me this lecture, Mary's already given it to me." Sybil started to move off towards the stairs confidently and, when Tom was waved over, he followed her.

"Where are you going now?" Mary asked. She was obviously angry, but she didn't shout like her father had done.

"I have work in three quarters of an hour. I need to go and get changed and then leave for the hospital," she said strongly. Then she turned back to face the stairs and started to climb them, with Tom at her side. When she heard mumbling among her family, she called back to them, without turning her head to look, "Just be glad I've got a job. As far as you're concerned, it's the one thing that's good about me, so don't make me be late by having an argument with me please. It's not in your best interest or in mine, I promise."

She and Tom wandered into her room. She took a deep breath as she leant against the closed door and Tom sat on her desk chair. "Well, that was an interesting encounter," she said.

"Somehow, I didn't really imagine your family to be quite like that," Tom said with a light laugh.

"I'm not surprised. I try to keep them all out of conversation as much as possible." Sybil walked over to her wardrobe and got out her work clothes – a black pencil skirt, a light purple shirt, a purple and white patterned jumper and a pair of tights. She threw them onto the neat duvet of her bed and began to undress. She pulled off her shoes and socks first. She crossed her arms over her torso and brought her top over her head, letting her hair fall in waves down her back. She unbuttoned her jeans and shimmied them off her legs, kicking them across the floor slightly.

"You're gorgeous, Sybil," Tom said tenderly, standing up from the chair, and walking over to Sybil. He wrapped his arms around her waist softly and pulled her body close to his. He locked his lips onto hers and entwined his tongue with hers. Sybil gently pulled away before things got out of hand. She didn't want to be late for work, but she knew that if she didn't do something, she wouldn't be able to build up the courage to pull away from Tom.

"You're not bad-looking, yourself!" Sybil said with a chuckle. "However, I need to get dressed. And anyway, if dad catches us being completely head over heels in love like this, he'll shoot both of us."

"It won't help if he catches us like this while you're dressed the way you are," Tom said with a suggestive undertone to his voice and his arms still wrapped tightly around Sybil.

"What, in a bra and pants? I don't know where you could have got that idea from," Sybil said sarcastically. She gave Tom a quick peck and then squirmed out of his arms to pick up her shirt. She slipped it over her arms and started buttoning it up down the middle of her chest. She pulled up her tights and then stepped through the waist of her skirt and zipped it up behind her. After putting her jumper over the top of her shirt, she brushed her hair and secured it in a ponytail, making sure it looked okay. She reapplied a bit of makeup and then was completely ready to go to work, apart from her shoes, which were down by the front door.

Tom took her hands and gave her a chaste kiss. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved this woman beyond belief and that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever had the privilege of knowing. He admired her body. Though it was now covered by clothes, it became clear to him that she knew well how to dress her body to show off the parts of it that were truly stunning. He put one arm around her waist and the two of them made their way out of her room, down the stairs and into the grand hall where her father had had a fit about her spending the night with Tom. Her family were no longer gathered in the hall, but she could hear them in the drawing room, so she went to tell them where she was going. She wasn't going to give Robert another reason to try and tell her how to live her life. She knocked gently on the door and the four other members of her family looked around to see her. "I'm going now. I'll be back after my shift," she said quietly, but still relatively confidently. Mary came up to her and wrapped her arms around her in a hug.

"Don't scare us again. We were only looking out for you," Mary said.

"I know," Sybil said, still unsure as to how much of Mary's ranting was actually 'looking out for her' and how much was just being too protective for her own good. The other three didn't talk to her, or walk up to her, but Edith and Cora smiled at her and Robert gave her a nod of affirmation, as if to say that he understood what she had said, accepted it, and expected her back after her shift without exception.

Once in the car with everything that the two needed, Tom drove Sybil to the hospital. They spoke about some menial things, but not anything of any importance. It certainly hadn't been the most stress-free day for either of them. Tom pulled up outside the hospital and before Sybil got out she leaned over to kiss him softly. "I'll see you soon," she said once she'd pulled away.

"I look forward to it," Tom said.

"I'll text you or something when I'm back at home later on," Sybil said, looking at Tom's eyes. He nodded in reply.

"I love you, Syb," he said, brushing his hand along her cheek softly.

"I love you too," she said, leaning into his hand. "Sorry about my family, by the way."

"Don't be sorry about it, Syb. We're all hiding something. We all have our quirks – good and bad. And besides, if your family weren't who they are, you wouldn't be who you are and then I wouldn't have fallen for you." Sybil smiled at the compliment.

"I guess it's the quirks that make us all unique," she said.

"Indeed it is," Tom said. He gave her another kiss, though this one was slightly lingering. Neither of them wanted to end it, but they both knew that they had to end it at some point. Once they had reluctantly split apart, Sybil opened the car door, grabbed her bag and stepped out onto the pavement. She closed the door and smiled at Tom before turning away to walk into the hospital. She turned back slightly when Tom started to pull away and gave him a wave, which he returned.

After she had settled down and had started to work, one of the nurses came to pick up some documents from her. "Okay, what's happened?" she said to Sybil with a wide grin.

"What do you mean?" Sybil asked, trying to suppress her smile, knowing exactly what Gwen, her best friend and colleague, was talking about.

"You know precisely what I mean, Sybil. You've got a huge grin on your face, you're in an extraordinarily good mood and you're glowing. I haven't seen you like this since your relationship was at its peak with Larry. Someone's done this to you. Who is he?" Gwen asked excitedly. Sybil sighed. She knew that she'd been defeated.

"His name's Tom, he's twenty three and he's absolutely gorgeous!" she said with a wide smile as she brushed her ponytail off her shoulder.

"I want to know everything about him. And I mean everything!" Gwen said with a giggle.

"Nurse Dawson," Doctor Clarkson, her superior, called from down the hall. "We need you in here." Gwen turned back to Sybil and said,

"Ring me later on because I need to know what this Tom fellow is like!" she grabbed the documents that Sybil had given her and ran off down the hall to meet Doctor Clarkson. Sybil smiled to herself and continued to work. Gwen was one of the most important people in her life and she loved her to pieces. She wanted to tell Gwen everything she knew about Tom and she couldn't wait to speak to her later that day.

* * *

_I hope you like this. This isn't as good as the others I don't think. I know what's going to happen soon, but when I planned it there was a bit in the middle where there was no planning, so this chapter and probably the next chapter (possibly the next chapter after that) has been done spontaneously. Anyway, I hope you're all still enjoying this and liked this chapter. Please review if you have anything to say about this and have the time. Thank you!_


	5. Friends Are Better Than Relatives

**Chapter 5: Friends Are Better Than Relatives**

Sybil was sat at the dining room table, eating her supper with her family. Her grandmother had come around for the meal and she was trying desperately to avoid looking her in the eye. Violet knew that Sybil had something with Tom, but, from what she had gathered from the rest of the family, she had decided that she didn't at all approve of him. "Sybil, dear," Violet said, looking at Sybil. Sybil kept her eyes down for a moment. _Shit!_ She then raised her gaze to meet that of her grandmother. She didn't say anything – she didn't want to put herself in a worse position than she was already in. "I hear that this man you met the other day has already got you to spend the night at his house," Violet said in a very knowledgeable tone of voice. Sybil took a deep breath. After her argument with Mary over the phone that morning and the confrontation in the great hall, she didn't have any energy left to argue for a third time in one day.

"I slept at his last night," Sybil confirmed flatly. She hadn't lied. She wasn't going to deny something that she did. But she also didn't want to give too much of her emotion away. She knew perfectly well that if she did, she'd get heated about how she could control her own life perfectly well and it would end in a row which she didn't want.

"You need to be careful, my dear. You don't know who you can trust these days," Violet stated. Sybil clenched her jaw tightly so as not to say something that she'd regret.

"Aren't you going to say anything, darling?" Cora asked, politely. Sybil shook her head, looked into her lap and stopped eating. She took a sip of her wine and then leant back on her chair and pushed her half-empty plate away from her. "I thought you liked him," her mother said simply.

"I do," Sybil said quietly. "But I don't want to give any of you a chance to insult him any more than you're doing already."

"We're really not trying to insult him, Sybil," Mary said, attempting to comfort her youngest sister. _Well, it sure comes across that way. Why else would you all be trying to stop me from going out with him?_

Throughout the meal, Sybil spoke as little as possible. Her tactic worked well and eventually her family were no longer discussing her relationship with Tom. But the things that they had already said about her and him had drained her of an appetite. When she was served pudding, she managed to eat two small bites of the apple crumble and then left it to go cold. She sat for the rest of the meal with her hands in her lap, clenching and unclenching them and trying not to look at anyone. When everyone was just beginning to finish their puddings, Sybil's mobile rang in her pocket. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that it was Gwen calling her. _Oh, thank God for that._ Sybil stood up as she put the phone to her ear to answer it, despite knowing that none of her family would be pleased that she was leaving the table before everyone had finished. "Hey Gwen," she said as she wandered out of the room.

"Hey. You sound completely frazzled," Gwen said in reply.

"I guess I am. My family have been warning me about getting myself into any sort of trouble with Tom."

"Ignore them," her best friend said reassuringly.

"I'm doing my best."

"Sybil Crawley, put you mobile away and come back in here this instant!" her father thundered in an authoritative voice from the door. Sybil rolled her eyes vaguely and then said to Gwen,

"I'm being shouted at, Gwen. I've got to go. I'll ring you later."

"You poor thing," Gwen stated. "Okay, talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye." Sybil slipped her phone into her back jeans pocket and swung around to look at her father. He simply gave her a look of authority and she slunk back into the dining room and sat heavily back on her chair. Mary gave her a look. Cora gave her a look. Violet gave her a look. Each look was completely different, but they had the same essence to them – _don't try and pretend that you thought you could get away with that, dear_. Edith also looked at her, but it wasn't _a look_, as such; it was a comforting smile from across the table. Sybil returned a very small smile to her fair-haired sister. Just at that moment, Sybil felt Isis' cold nose against her hand, which was flopped by her side. She turned to the dog. "Hello, girl," she said lovingly as she turned to scratch Isis behind the ears and under the chin. "It's good to know that you still love me."

"Sybil, we all still love you," Violet said. Sybil raised her eyebrows in disbelief of her grandmother's words and continued to stroke Isis, staying quiet and trying not to bring attention to herself. "I promise, my dear. We want the best for you. And from what I've heard so far, this Tom chap is not the best for you."

"I accept your point, Granny, but, with all due respect, you don't know him, for one thing. And for another, I _am_ eighteen and you _can't_ control me."

"We're not trying to control you, Sybil." _Here we go._ "Sybil, we are your family. We are doing what we believe is best. And, yes, you may think that what we are doing is not best for you, but we do all have more life experience than you and we are trying to protect you."

"I understand that, Granny, and I appreciate it, I really do. But your life experience is different from mine. None of you have done or will ever do some of what I have done or what I plan to do, so it turns out that I have just as much experience as you do. And I know that you're trying to protect me, but failure is part of life. I can't do everything wrapped in bubble wrap. It isn't possible. I need to be exposed to some harsh stuff or I'm never going to be able to look after myself, am I?"

"We've all been through hard times, Sybil," Mary said. _I think your definition of hard and my definition of hard are slightly different in this context, Mary._

"Mama, please may I leave now?" Sybil begged her mother. She knew that if she asked her father, she'd be forced to stay, but she knew that her mother understood her better and had more of a soft spot for her. Where Mary was 'daddy's little girl', Sybil was definitely 'her mother's daughter'. Cora looked from Sybil to Robert and back again. She sighed at her husband and nodded to Sybil. Robert wouldn't make Sybil come back after Cora had let her go – he'd tried too many times in the past and knew that it would fail, so there was no point in trying.

After thanking her mother and giving Isis another quick scratch, she lifted herself from the table and hurried upstairs. She took them two at a time and shut herself in her room. She opened her window to let the summer air into her bedroom. She took a deep breath in. She loved the smell and feel of summer. It was her favourite season of the year and had been since she was a child. She lay on top of the covers of her bed and let the sunshine devour her body. It caressed her cheeks, fondled her breasts and smoothed her waist. It sunk into her and flowed through her body. It warmed her up, but made her shiver when it dived towards the centre of her body. She loved it. It loved her. Sybil and sunshine were the perfect couple. Made for each other. They knew each other more than many couples knew one another. But Sybil wanted to change that. As much as it was important to her, she wanted to run away from it and have an affair with Tom. She wanted to cheat on it with every fibre within her. Maybe this was what Larry had felt towards that other girl – she couldn't even remember her name. Maybe now she understood his motives. But maybe she didn't. The sun wasn't going to cry and mourn and have to live on without their relationship after four years of being together. Sybil could go off with Tom and not feel guilty about things. Larry couldn't do that. Or, at least, Sybil had thought that Larry couldn't do that. She thought he had loved her enough to at least feel enough guilt to break up with her before he went and shagged another girl. Or even to not have thought about shagging her in the first place – that would have been ideal. But, then again, if Larry hadn't broken up with her, she wouldn't have got her eyes on Tom. She, of all people, knew that Tom had made an improvement to her life. She was the only one who really knew anything about Tom. She had no one to talk to about him because no one that she knew also knew him. However, that was about to change. She wriggled to get her phone back out of her pocket and then relaxed her body as she dialled Gwen's number. She listened patiently to the ringing. _One ring. Two rings._ "Hey, Syb."

"Hi, Gwen."

"How are things going? Has your dad recovered from his strop?" she asked sympathetically.

"Things are great and thankfully yes. He still didn't want me to leave the table, but mama got me out of it. Anyway, I have _got_ to tell you about Tom."

"Tell me everything there is to know," Gwen ordered.

"I'll do my best," Sybil said with a grin. "How much did I tell you back at work?"

"Umm, he's called Tom, he's twenty three and you said he was good-looking," Gwen informed her.

"Good-looking is the understatement of the year!"

"Okay, so start with his looks. Tell me about how beautiful he is!" Gwen was being purposefully over-dramatic and Sybil knew that, and it made her laugh. Gwen had always been eccentric.

"He's got kind of sandy brown blond hair – you know, that sort of hair that isn't really blond and isn't really brown. I guess it's kind of mousy brown. It's more brown than blond though, I think."

"So, it's that hair colour that's the unclassified one?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, that one," Sybil confirmed. "And it's not really long, but it's not short. I think it's that kind of floppy sort that can easily be tamed, but I wouldn't be surprised if he can't be bothered to deal with it all the time. And his eyes – oh, his eyes! They're a gorgeous blue!"

"You were never really one for dark eyes, were you?"

"I've always preferred blue," Sybil admitted. "And his jawline isn't defined in a Disney prince way, but God does it suit him!"

"Stubble?"

"Unfortunately not, but I'm pretty sure that he would look unbelievably good with it. Gwen, you haven't seen him, you don't understand just how exceptional he looks."

"Keep explaining it then, and maybe I'll understand slightly more!" Gwen encouraged, wanting Sybil to tell her more.

"Arm muscles," Sybil said simply. She waited a moment for Gwen to take in the new piece of information. "Honestly, Gwen, I have never seen arm muscles quite like that!"

"Oh, gosh, Sybil – I swear you're making me blush!"

"Not as much as I think I did when I first saw them!" Sybil said.

"Did he take his top off for you?"

"Not exactly. I'll get to that later," Sybil said, wanting to finish describing Tom before she got onto what the two of them had done and how they'd got to know each other. "And his chest isn't half bad! Honestly, it's more impressive than I thought it would be. Oh!" Sybil said, remembering the next piece of information. "He's Irish as well, so his accent is absolutely gorgeous! He's only been in England for a couple of years. And he's pretty intelligent from what I've seen so far. But I think he's more intelligent than he's letting on. He's a journalist and he's interested in human nature and how complicated we are as a species. I'm anticipating some extremely thought-provoking conversations in the future. And, honestly, he's generally just a really lovely man. I haven't come across anything bad about him so far."

"So, what's this about him taking off his shirt?" Gwen asked, intrigued and interested.

"Well, I knew he had arm muscles when I first met him because I touched his arm when I said goodbye to him. But then, to cut a long story short, I ended up going round to his house in the day and then last night I slept there as well," Sybil explained.

"Sybil, sleeping with him is a bit much!" Gwen said, shocked.

"No, Gwen, it wasn't sex – it was sleep. I stayed at his house to get away from my parents, so he let me sleep with him. Apparently his bed is more comfortable than the one in his spare room, so he let me share it with him."

"Sure," Gwen said, sceptically.

"No, I mean it, Gwen!" Sybil said light-heartedly. "And that's when I saw his muscles. I didn't say anything at the time, but they are _so well_ defined. As in, beyond belief well defined!"

"So, when do I get to meet him?" Gwen asked, excitedly. "You've made him sound too good – you can't deny me the right to meet him now!"

"I don't know. I've only known him for three days."

"I still think that sleeping in his bed is a bit awkward for three days," Gwen said.

"Well, actually, it was more like two days at the time," Sybil admitted. "But anyway, I'll talk to him when I next see him and maybe he'll agree to meet you then. But I don't really want to scare him off."

"By the sounds of it, Sybil, if he was going to be scared off, it would have happened already."

"I suppose," Sybil admitted.

"I expect a message containing details of date and time and all soon," Gwen laughed, adamant that she was going to get to meet Sybil's new boyfriend.

"Okay, I'll do my best!" Sybil said, returning the laughter.

"Bye, Sybil."

"Bye, Gwen."

Sybil decided to read instead of do some work. Arguments had made up most of the day and she wanted something calming on which to focus her attention. She knew that reading something – anything – would cheer her up, regardless of the subject matter. She had been re-reading the _Harry Potter_ series and was half way through the third one. She'd read them all and had seen all the films countless times, but that didn't stop her from enjoying them now as much as she had the first time around. After reading a couple of chapters, moving around her room as she did so; sitting on her bed, sitting on the floor, pacing across the room, sitting by her desk, sitting on her desk, leaning against the wall, lying on the bed; her phone buzzed, so she went over to it to see who had texted her. She expected it to be Gwen badgering her to let her meet Tom or maybe her phone company texting her about something she really didn't care about. But she was pleasantly surprised when she saw that the text was from Tom. She smiled as she pressed the _View Message_ button on her phone.

_Have you recovered from earlier on? I'm thinking of you. Tom xx_

Sybil placed her book pages down on her desk so that she could use both hands to type out her reply.

_Yeah, things have calmed down a bit. Dad's definitely still angry with me, but mum is on my side, so she's kind of trying to protect me. And I've been reading for a bit as well to calm myself down. Thank you for being there for me. You mean the world to me. Syb xx_

It wasn't long before Sybil's phone alerted her of another text.

_I'm glad I could help and I'm glad you feel better. I'm always here if you need me. I told you that I'd catch you before you hit the ground. I wasn't only talking about love when I said that. I'll be there to catch you before you fall from anything. I love you xx_

_You don't know what that means to me. I promised my best friend that I'd let her meet you at some point. Would you mind meeting her at some point? It doesn't have to be soon – I'm sure she'll be able to wait for a couple of weeks if you're busy. Xx_

_Of course I'll meet her. I don't know when I'll be free though. I've got a busy week ahead of me. Tom xx_

_No worries. You've done plenty enough for one week. There's only so much good one person can do for others in a certain space of time. Syb xx_

_I love you, Sybil._

_I love you too, Tom. I don't know what I'd do without you. Xxx_

_Ditto, but I've got to go. I need to go and report on some sort of stargazing thing for half the night. I have a feeling it's going to be one of the more boring things I've covered._

_Well, good luck. If it helps, maybe you can pin one of those stars as ours. Choose the one that catches your eye first. At least then, if the night really is an abominable disaster, you can at least look interested by looking at that star and thinking of me! Maybe that will help… I love you. Sybil xx_

_That's a brilliant idea. You're the best. I love you and I'll ring you at some point later in the week. I'm missing you already. Tom xxx_

_You've only been away from me for a matter of hours! It's not a lifetime!_

_I know, but it feels like one and I can't help myself. I love you too much! Tom xxx_

_I love you too. Syb xxx_

* * *

I wasn't sure about this chapter, so it's been hanging around for a while without being uploaded. Let me know what you think. Favourites, follows and reviews are always appreciated.


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